The Return Home
by PlasticineFan
Summary: A troubled marriage drives Bella to move to Chicago, leaving Edward distraught. When her dream job requires her to return home with her stepsister, can old and new love for the two ignite? B/E AH. Canon pairings.


**Summary: A troubled marriage drives Bella to move to Chicago, leaving Edward distraught. When her dream job requires her to return home with her stepsister, can old and new love for the two ignite? B/E AH.**

_I got this idea for my story after watching Sweet Home Alabama. Don't get me wrong, I don't really like the movie, but I did like the idea =) _

_This is an B/E fanfic, so please don't hate me =( Edward and Bella _will_ end up together. I just wanted it to be a bit angsty. _

_By the way, I really want to apologise for my other story, Buying Bella Back. I know I haven't updated in a week and a half, I just have really crazy writers block and all the exams are killing me. I promise I will have it up soon though, I know what I'm doing for the rest of the story, it just seems that Chapter Nine is getting to me._

_Well, here you are, chapter one!_

**Chapter One**

"Didn't you see how he was looking at you?!" Edward shouted in my face.

"No, I _didn't _fucking notice. And even if he was looking at me like you say, what does that have to do with me?!"

"Bella, you don't fucking understand! Get it through your head. That guy was looking at you like you were a piece of meat."

"What was I supposed to do? I can't control what guys think!"

"You could have told him to stop staring at you! God Bella, I've seen him do it before, and I know you have too! Why the hell didn't you do anything about it?!"

"I didn't do anything about it because it doesn't matter what he thinks! I'm never going to give him a chance, so it doesn't matter. You act like I _wanted _him to look at me!"

"Well, maybe a whore like you would want that attention!" My brain froze. Whatever comeback I was about to use was completely wiped from my mind. I could feel the tears starting to prick my eyes. How could he? _How could he?_

I could feel the tears starting to trail down my cheeks, no matter how much I tried to prevent it. Edward's face contorted in pain and he looked horrified. He reached a hand towards me, but I flinched away from the contact.

"Bella…" he whispered. I turned away from him.

"Don't."

"Bella… please, I didn't mean it like that. Please, look at me." He said desperately.

Against my will, I turned my head towards him.

"Bella," he choked, "please listen to me. I didn't mean it. You know I didn't. I'm just so scared of losing you. You're so beautiful, so smart… every man seems to be after you. I don't want to lose you. I _can't _lose you. Please, Bella, understand." He finished his sentence in a whisper. I didn't acknowledge his apology. I heard it almost everyday. It differed, but it was always the same, as the _situation_ was always the same. Whenever we'd go out, and any guy looked at me, as soon as we got home, Edward would scream in my face about it. I wasn't aloud to go anywhere without him. I'd go to buy groceries, he'd be there. I'd go to the gym, he'd be there, I'd go to the library. He'd. Be. There. I wasn't aloud to do anything.

I didn't even have a job I could escape too. But I bet if he let me, he'd hire people to watch me or something. No, he didn't allow me to have a job. He wanted us to be a proper family, where I would stay home with our nonexistent kids and he'd go to work. His jealousy was borderline possessive. But he didn't understand. I so badly wanted a job. Ever since I was ten, I'd wanted to be an author, to write books and novels. It'd been my dream. That dream had been crushed ever since my first week back to school from summer vacation.

**Flashback**

We'd had a new kid in our class, just a few weeks before my thirteenth birthday. He'd walked into class that first day, and I was smitten. His beautiful wild bronze hair, his vivid green eyes and his amazing symmetrical face lured me in instantly. I was early that day, and only a few people were in class. He'd looked up at me and a small smile had spread across his face, and he approached me.

"Are you saving that seat for anyone?" He'd asked shyly. My eyes widened when I realised he was asking _me._

"N-no." I stuttered, and cursed myself.

His smile became more pronounced. "Would you mind if… if I sat there?"

"Of course not." I told him, glad I could form a proper sentence. He sat down gracefully and turned is chair and body towards me.

"Hi, I'm Edward." He told me.

"Bella." I smiled at him.

"You're beautiful." He blurted out, his eyes growing wide once he realised he'd said it out loud.

**End Flashback**

We'd been inseparable since that day. We grew into teenagers, started dating properly, fell in love and, by age nineteen, we were married. He'd been all I'd known, all my firsts the only man I had ever loved. But I couldn't do this anymore.

I turned away from him again, and walked robotically out of the room. All we seemed to do was argue. I was cramped here, my dreams unfulfilled and, no matter how much I loved Edward, I needed a life of my own. I was depressed here.

I walked into our bedroom and climbed into bed, pulling the cover over me without even changing my clothes. I heard him come in a little later and lay down on the bed, but I didn't bother to look at him. I was still thinking. Still undecided. Looking at him now would crumble any resolve I had left.

I woke in the morning with my decision. It both made me feel lighter and caused me more pain than had ever known. I didn't want to do this. But I had too.

- - - -

Edward returned home from work that evening. As soon as he got in, my heart rate sped up and my hands began sweating. I felt physically sick at the thought of doing this. But I had to. If I wanted to live my own life, no matter what the cost, I had to.

He looked remorseful and he saw my face, thinking I was scared of him because of yesterday. I wasn't. He shouted at me like that every day, I expected it. He noticed the food placed on the kitchen table in the corner and smiled brightly at me. He hung his coat up and sat down to eat. I hovered around him, just willing the words to come out, but I couldn't. I just physically couldn't do it.

Edward noticed though. He stopped chewing mid mouthful and glanced up at me questioningly. This was it.

"I'm leaving you." I blurted out in a rush, trying to get it over with.

He choked on his food before he managed to swallow it.

"What?" Edward whispered.

"I'm leaving you." I told him, making my voice detached so that my decision wouldn't waver.

Edward's eyes widened a little and his face contorted in pain before a fire emerged in his eyes and he swiftly stood up from the table, looking more angry then I had ever seen him. At this point, I was utterly terrified of the man. He stood barely a foot away from me.

He got right in my face before he started screaming again.

"You're leaving me? You're leaving me. It's him, isn't it? Isn't it, Bella!? You're going to run off with him!"

My own anger flared up. He was accusing me of cheating on him, _again? _

"No I am fucking not, Edward! I'm not just leaving you. I'm leaving Forks. I can't stand this anymore! All we ever do is fight! I don't think you even love me anymore." Edward was pacing up and down, but as soon as I said that, his head snapped up at me, his eyes narrowed in anger "You don't trust me. You ruined my dreams! All I ever wanted to do was become an author, but you stopped me. If you loved me, you'd at least give me a little choice over what I do in my life. I can't live like this anymore!"

"You're leaving me?" Edward whispered brokenly once again, as if he couldn't comprehend the statement.

"Yes." I choked. "I'm leaving tomorrow. My things are all packed, I have everything sorted out and I'm catching a plane tomorrow to Chicago. My stepsister Alice lives there. I'm staying with her for a few days before I get my own place."

There was a brief silence while Edward thought through everything.

"What are you going to do?" Edward spoke, almost inaudibly.

"I'm going to Chicago to find work. I'm going to write that novel I always planned to write, and live out my dreams."

He sat back down in his chair. "So that's it? You're gone tomorrow…"

"Yes." I whispered.

He looked destroyed. "We don't get to talk about this…?"

"No."

Edward closed his eyes and covered his face with his hands. "This is my fault, isn't it? I drove you away…" He shot up, a crazed look in his eyes. He kicked the chair he was previously seated on and swung his fist against the wall behind him. He repeated it a few times and I started to panic and started to reach my hand over to him, thinking he was going to damage his hand. I retreated my hand after he calmed down a little, throwing a few more lazy punches against the wall, and then turning to face me.

"No, Bella! Please stay. Please don't leave me! I don't think I can live without you here… God, please don't leave me by myself!" Edward cried hysterically.

"Edward, if you wanted me here, you wouldn't have pushed me away! You don't want me here!" I turned my face away from hi to hide the tears that were starting to prick my eyes. "Everything is already settled. I'm leaving tomorrow." He looked broken, but it must have been a façade. Everything had been building up to this point. We obviously weren't meant to be… We didn't work. Edward opened his mouth again, obviously wanting to continue the argument, to try to persuade me to stay, but instead he closed his mouth and stared into my eyes, seemingly searching for something. He must of found it, as he let out a strangled sigh and looked down.

"Did you ever stop loving me?" He whispered, his head still down.

"No, I didn't. I do love you, Edward." I breathed out.

When Edward looked back up at me, a tired, defeated look in his eyes.

"Okay Bella. If this is what you want. If you want to follow your dreams… I wont stop you." He sighed and ran a hand over his face. Again, he looked up at me. The emotion on his face made my heart clench.

"But… please… if you're leaving… can we be together… just one more time?" He pleaded.

He must as seen the indecision on my face, as he continued to explain.

"I need this Bella… I need to remember you…"

I couldn't deny him anything. I wanted something to remember him by too, one last time to memorize everything about him.

"Okay."

- - - -

Later that night, my last night with Edward, and we were sitting on our bed. Edward had led me in here after he had helped me wash up the dishes. This was it, our last night together.

Our last time.

He turned to me and fingered the material of my shirt, pulling at it. He grabbed the material and slowly slid I over my head, as I did the same to his shirt. He gazed at my now bare skin, as if trying to memorize it, while _I _myself tried to memorize his. Our shirts were discarded on the floor. Edward leaned towards me and placed open mouthed kisses on my bare stomach and exposed flesh, slowly, almost lovingly. His lips trailed up my ribcage and up to my shoulders, where he sucked the flesh there into his mouth, causing me to moan softly at the feeling. I slid my hands down his torso and Edward let out a shuddering breath. My fingers latched onto his belt loops and I brought his body closer to mine.

We were locked in a passionate kiss, as Edward forced my mouth open and his tongue swept past my lips. His hand rested at my waist, running gently over the curves of my hips and the tops of my thighs, occasionally skimming over the edges of my breasts.

My fingers still hooked on his belt loops, I started to unbutton his jeans. He returned the favour to me and unzipped the tiny zip on the left side of my skirt. I lifted my hips of the bed, allowing him to rip the skirt off of me. He then proceeded to pull his own jeans off, tossing the offending garments in a pile close to our shirts. Grabbing Edward shoulder, I pushed him onto is back on the bed. Straddling him, I roughly pushed my hips into his, rewarding me with a deep, throaty groan from him.

"Oh _God, _Bella…" Edward moaned in a breathless voice.

I forced my hips to his again, and he responded by grabbing my hips and thrusting his cloth covered erection into me. I moaned out and realised in my haze that we were both still wearing too much.

Fiercely, I nudged his boxers down to his ankles. Edward rolled us over so that I was on my back underneath him, with him positioned between my legs. He fisted my panties in his clenched hand and ripped them off my body, causing me to gasp out.

He entered me agonizingly slow. A shaky groan slipped from Edwards lips as I moaned at the feeling of him inside me. He jerked his hips forward, and thrust into me repeatedly.

His head fell to the crook of my shoulder as he continued to slide in and out of me. At this point… we were making love. His cheek was pressed against my jaw, and I could have sworn that something warm and wet slid down my neck.

A sob came from deep inside Edward's throat. Another escaped his lips, and his body quivered with the small noises he was making.

It sounded like he was… _crying? _

I couldn't let myself think of the reason why as I could soon feel myself getting closer to my release, and I assumed Edward was getting close too because he picked up his pace. He pulled his head out of the crook of my neck and we continued to speed up. Looking into his eyes, I saw the small trickle of moonlight reflecting in Edward's eyes, conforming my suspicion. Edward _was_ crying.

A single small, silver trail down his cheek.

"Edward…?" I asked as tentatively, only slightly wavering in my lust enduced haze.

Edward cut me off by placing his fingertips on my lips. He slowly dragged them down my chin, my throat and between the valley of my breasts, before roughly cupping the left, while continuing to pound into me.

As he played with my breasts, pinching my nipples, I felt myself clench. I was right on the edge.

"Oh God, Ed- Edward… I'm so close." I panted.

"Ungh… _fuck_… me too… Bella, come… _please_." My hips were meeting his every thrust as I reached my climax. He followed and spilled into me, reaching his own release. Edward's arms gave out and he collapsed on top of me.

After we had both regained our breath, I started to ease myself out from underneath Edward, as he hadn't moved out of me. I didn't get far though, because Edward grabbed the tops of my arms to stop me from wriggling away.

I gave him a confused look.

"Please…" he begged, "Just let me be inside you, just for a little longer…"

I stared up at him, noting the desperation on his face, and nodded. I couldn't refuse him anything.

I fell asleep that night listening to Edward sobs.

- - - -

I woke early in the morning. The bright sunlight was leaking in from the slit in the closed curtains, giving everything a yellow hue. I felt a weight pressed into my left side, and arm lazily draped round my torso. Edward. I turned my face towards my husband and smiled. And realised what today was. The smile dropped from my face and the pain closed in on me. It was time.

I gently slid out of his grasp, laying his arm to rest next to him. I slowly lifted myself into a sitting position, edging myself off of the bed without causing any tremors.

I hadn't planned to do it this way. I wanted to be able to say goodbye to him properly… although I guess we did last night. Last night was closure. And it was time for me to leave.

I didn't want to go see Charlie before I left. Edward would likely tell him, or he could just assume what had happened. Charlie knew that I had planned to leave before, and with my absence, I'm sure he could put two and two together.

Oh, Charlie. I hoped my disappearance wouldn't hurt him too much. Ever since my mother left, he'd been fighting to survive. I guess I was doing what my mother was doing. Running away. But this time, I wasn't running _away_ from my problems, I was running _to_ my destiny. To my dreams. I needed this.

Anyway, I'd come back to visit my father again. Discreetly, of course. If word got out about my visit, I'm sure Rose would take the opportunity to rip my hair out of its roots and demand to know why I had just up and left without telling her. She'd be furious. And I did _not _want that. And Jasper's slightly disappointed and hurt look would be too much for me to handle.

But I was sure I would miss my cousin the most. Emmett.

I sighed and I hurriedly got dressed, trying to make as little sound as possible. I walked into the kitchen and ran my hand over the counter. God, I would miss it. The kitchen, where for almost four years, I had cooked almost every meal we ate in. Edwards loved my cooking, he'd compliment it every day. It made me happy to cook for him. I used to cook all of his favourite dishes when I had the chance, and-

_Stop it! _I demanded my mind to get back on track. As I went from room to room, memorizing each piece of furniture, the way it was angled, the colour scheme of the room, I realised that I was subconsciously stalling.

Sighing, I ventured back into the bedroom, seeing my Edward still fast asleep, with my pillow crushed to his chest. I knelt beside the bed and stared at him, drinking in his features, the sharp angles of his cheekbones, the way his eyelashes brushed against the skin of his cheeks, the slight dark shadow under his eyes, the only evidence of his lack of sleep. The slope of his nose, that was only a slight bit crooked from the wrestling match he and Emmett had been involved in a few months ago.

I realised that I had reached out and was stroking his cheek. Immediately, I pulled my hand back and cursed myself. I didn't want to wake him. Ever so gently, I leaned in and ghosted my lips across his cheek, savouring the moment. Edward shivered in his sleep, and I slowly backed away, whispering my goodbye.

I turned my back on him and made for a quick exit. Until I heard him.

"Bella… don't go…" I froze. He couldn't possibly be awake, could he…?

Hesitating for a second beforehand, I turned back around and sighed in relief when I realised that he was indeed mumbling in his sleep. Metaphorically wiping my brow, I headed out of the house.

And out of my loves life.

- - - -

_It might seem that Edward gave up a little quickly, but this had been building up for both of them over the years, and they had discussed it before._

_Eep! I'm excited for my first chapter of this story to be up. I think I'm gonna like this story. Those who have seen the film 'Sweet Home Alabama' will notice the resemblance of the plot line. Sorry if you don't like that kind of thing in a story!_

_Also, sorry if the lemon was crap, I'm not all that comfortable with doing it, but I think it was a necessity for this story._

_Similar to my other story, Buying Bella Back', I'm going to put my favourite band of the moment here, instead of my favourite five songs. Hope y'all don't mind._

_Today's band: BLOC PARTY_

_How awesome were they at Glastonbury? _

_Please review on my second story!_

_-Ro x_


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